86 



Cold Storage of Fruit. 



these tanks brine cooled by a carbonic anhydride refrigera- 

 ting machine was circulated at any desired temperature. 

 Each chamber was fitted with tiers of galvanised wire shelves 

 around the sides, and the fruit was placed on these under 

 three different conditions (i) exposed on the shelves, (2) enve- 

 loped in grease-proof paper, (3) surrounded or covered by 

 cotton-wool. It was found that strawberries could be kept for 

 at least three weeks in a temperature of 30 degs., but it was 

 necessary to surround the fruit with cotton-wool, or, in the 

 case of fruit in sieves, to place a pad of that material over 

 the top. When this precaution was not taken, the fruit, 

 though sound, became dull and lost the fresh, inviting 

 appearance which is so important when it is offered for sale. 

 Black currants kept well for 10 days, after which they 

 began to shrivel, but plumped and freshened on exposure 

 to the air so as to be marketable. This was especially 

 the case with black currants that had been stored in 

 market sieves covered with a wad of cotton-wool. After 

 a fortnight's storage, the temperature was raised from 

 30 degs. to 32 degs. F., and this seemed to give the 

 best results. The experiments with red currants were an 

 unqualified success, the fruit remaining perfectly sound for 

 six weeks, and maintaining its freshness when exposed to a 

 normal temperature for 16 hours. Cherries covered with 

 wool kept for a month at a temperature of 30 degs. and at 36 

 degs. were not only sound, sweet and juicy, but fresh and 

 clear. After the fourth week the fruit began to wrinkle. 



The small fruits above mentioned, and particularly straw- 

 berries, must, it appears, be placed in store in advance of dead 

 ripeness ; when fully ripe, they will keep for some time, but 

 lose surface freshness ; the fruit must be sound, and not 

 pecked or injured in any way. 



Greengages were kept in excellent condition for ten weeks 

 and Victoria plums kept for nine weeks, but the cooking 

 varieties of plums, with that exception, did nor lend them- 

 selves satisfactorily to cold storage. 



In the case of apples specimens of most of the leading- 

 dessert sorts were stored on September 17th and October 8th, 

 and, with one or two exceptions, they kept till the end of 



